Isaiah “IQ” Quintabe returns for another go-around in Fixit, the lastest page-turning mystery from Joe Ide.
Ide opens his latest novel, the sixth in the series set after Smoke (2021), with the kidnapping of Grace. After working her shift at a taco truck, Grace, Isaiah’s first love, heads home to call IQ. The two have a complicated relationship and aren’t currently together, but Grace decided Isaiah is worth fighting for, and plans to reach out to him in hopes of getting back together.
Sadly, she never get’s the chance.
After parking her car at home, she gets out, and is suddenly attacked. A moment later, a bag is placed over her head, and things go dark.
Meanwhile, five hundred miles away, Isaiah is still a patient in the Coronado Springs Hospital, where he’s slowly recovering from injuries sustained during his last case. Previously, IQ was pulled into the twisting, dangerous search for a deranged killer by a less than reliable source. Poking around nearly got him killed, in more ways than one. After a lifetime of suffering, both mentally and physically, the toll was beginning to wreck his body. His mind too, once sharp beyond measure, registering genius levels, was being impacted. Suffering from PTSD for some time, the only fix was to dive head-first into another case. That always helped him snap out of it before. And yet, the very “fix” was the thing making him sicker.
Finally reaching a breaking point, Isiah realizes he can do one of two things: “be sick, or resume the work that made him sick.” He chooses to be sick, leaving his old life behind once and for all . . .
However, things take a sudden turn when IQ finds out about Grace’s kidnapping, forcing the once famed investigator back into action, where he’ll soon be tested in ways he never imagined.
Fans of Michael Connelly and John Sandford will especially appreciate Ide’s series, which reads like a modern, urban take on Sherlock Holmes. Speaking of Holmes, who always has the trusty Watson by his side, Isaiah has his own sidekick in Dodson, who also returns here. Though their relationship has changed numerous times over the course of the past five books, the dynamic between the two is genuine and raw, evolving further as they once again face impossible odds. It’s those complexities that make Ide’s work so brilliant, as the author works so much depth into his characters, making them relatable and real.
Bottom line, if you’re looking for a smart, well-written mystery with memorable characters and a twisting plot that’ll keep you guessing every step of the way, this it, Joe Ide delivers yet again.
Book Details
Author: Joe Ide
Series: IQ #6
Pages: 32o (Hardcover)
ISBN: 0316531081
Publisher: Mulholland Books
Release Date: May 9 2023
Real Book Spy Rating: 7.5/10
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